From what I can tell, "hipsters" is a term that's popped up on the Internet, and particularly Youtube, when net users view other people having fun at concerts and clubs. It's the only place I've seen this word bandied about, on the comments section of Youtube videos. As in, "Oh, look at all those hipsters standing around looking silly at that Four Tet concert."

Those who use this term may be strongly related to HL Mencken's definition of a puritan: The sneaking suspicion that someone, somewhere, may be having fun.

Another way of putting it: hipsters is what suburbanites call urban dwellers.

The irony is that this new use of a rather outdated term could only be used by what could be termed "hipsters." In this context, saying I hate hipsters is tantamount to saying I hate myself.

Judging by these photos, 'hipsters' are what Americans call that small minority of Americans with style and fashion sense. As in, "Oh, look at that dude wearing a scarf, he must be gay or European. What a hipster."

I, too, am uncertain as to what constitutes a "hipster." According to the web page you linked us to, it seems "hipster" is a fashion statement? Is that right? So, do the bands you listed in your poll dress like this? And, if so, why does this matter? They look comfortable in their post-Flashdance, neo-philosopher, pseudo back-to-nature geek apparel. How does this impact their musical choices, much less a band's musical stylings?

I'm really still not getting this "hipster" thing. Guess I'll continue to do my research.

Is the "hipster" of today like the Glammers or Preppies or Greasers or Beatniks of their eras?

One of my daughters (age 19) uses this term a lot but I thought she was referring to a type of person who tries to act like something because they think it's the in trend but they're really not the "hippies' they think/wannabe. Is that close to your definition of "hipster"??

However, for the hipster, there is nothing to be ashamed of in liking
utter dreck, for, unlike lesser mortals, hipsters are allowed to like
bad music. In fact, they are allowed to brag about the dozens of
musical travesties in their extensive collection of LP's,[8] and even play them for their fellow hipsters. There are even a few persons in the movement who insist that one can't
be a hipster unless you listen to crud. They can do this because, as
hipsters, they have learned how to listen to music in an ironic fashion.
In other words, it's okay to like crappy music, as long as you
acknowledge that it's crappy and claim to enjoy it for its crappiness.

Sometimes I like music for it's crappiness, but it's a very, very small percentage of my music listening, most crap I find to be...... crap. Does this exclude me from being a hipster? Are you saying the bands in the poll list are crappy?

I left out some obvious choices such as TMV, Radiohead, and the Decemberists in order to be fair. I generally loathe hipsters and a lot of their music, but I like the more interesting, less cutesy side of hipster music a great deal, I must admit.

I don't know how to express myself without being rude, but your username really fits you.

lol, if you recognise more than one of these bands, there is a fair chance you're a hipster. If you own anything from these artists, you might want to take off your fedora and pat yourself on the head. You have good taste.

You ever read any Kerouac? The term hipster's been around a long while. I remember in the 90s, on Seinfeld, Elaine called Kramer a "hipster doofus." It isn't a new term:

From Wikipedia: "Hipster or hepcat, as used in the 1940s, referred to aficionados of jazz, in particular bebop, which became popular in the early 1940s. The hipster adopted the lifestyle of the jazz musician, including some or all of the following: dress, slang, use of cannabis and other drugs, relaxed attitude, sarcastic humor, self-imposed poverty and relaxed sexual codes." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_(1940s_subculture)

Almost every hipster I know only listens to Explosions in the Sky from this list, and I'd never actually consider them a hipster band. Isn't "hipster music" indie and folk rock?

First time I heard the expression applied to music fans, it was about those people who take pride in listening to the most out there, unnatural and unlistenable - all the stuff most others love to hate. The classic example is Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, which many people call anti music and furthermore deem fans of said record liars, because there is in fact nothing to like about it, it's not even music! People who like Trout Mask Replica were the original hipsters in the way I understand the word in regards to music. The same applies to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music or the second side of Ummagumma actually.

“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

Almost every hipster I know only listens to Explosions in the Sky from this list, and I'd never actually consider them a hipster band. Isn't "hipster music" indie and folk rock?

First time I heard the expression applied to music fans, it was about those people who take pride in listening to the most out there, unnatural and unlistenable - all the stuff most others love to hate. The classic example is Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica, which many people call anti music and furthermore deem fans of said record liars, because there is in fact nothing to like about it, it's not even music! People who like Trout Mask Replica were the original hipsters in the way I understand the word in regards to music. The same applies to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music or the second side of Ummagumma actually.

The term hipster originates from the post-WW2 bebop era of Charlie Parker and Beat Literature. From Wikipedia: "Hipster or hepcat, as used in the 1940s, referred to aficionados of jazz, in particular bebop, which became popular in the early 1940s. The hipster adopted the lifestyle of the jazz musician, including some or all of the following: dress, slang, use of cannabis and other drugs, relaxed attitude, sarcastic humor, self-imposed poverty and relaxed sexual codes." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_(1940s_subculture)

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